Flood Vents Must Be Certified.......

If you do not have certified flood vents your rates are subject to rise.

FEMA released a guide for identifying the lowest floor for rating buildings being considered for coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP created specific requirements regarding the installation of openings or vents for allowing water to flow through the enclosed space beneath an elevated building during a flood. These requirements are codified in Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR).

The presence of adequate openings or vents in the enclosure beneath an elevated structure is an important factor in rating an NFIP policy and can, therefore, have a significant impact on the cost of flood insurance coverage for the building.

There are 3 ways to have your flood vents certified.

Certification by an Engineer or Architect
Flood openings must be designed to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood forces on exterior walls by allowing for the entry and exit of flood waters. This certification is required by community officials.

Documentation by a Community Building Official
The community building official can submit a letter or other written evidence explaining the flood openings have been accepted by the community as an alternative to the openings requirement in the International Building Code or the local ordinance based on the issuance of an Evaluation Report on openings by the International Code Council Evalution Service (ICC-ES), Inc. ICC-ES Evaluation Report

The third acceptable alternative to the 1 inch for every square foot opening requirement is an Evaluation Report issued by the ICC-ES which states the automatic flood vents meet the code requirement. This report provides the specification on the number of flood vents required for a defined square footage of enclosed area below the BFE.

Here is a guide to flood vents.